Is corruption in Afghanistan greed or need based? Is it top down or bottom up? – By: Faheem Nazimi

September 2, 2017
A common public servant regularly helps himself to a bribe….is he doing it solely to enrich himself and buy a nice car, or is he doing it to hedge against the future, where survival may be at stake?
Another guy who supports a warlord, while knowing fully well that he’s a murderous thief. Trust deficit = his fellow Afghans. He’d rather a thug he’s familiar with, rather than a visibly better leader he assumes will serve his own and leave him out in the cold.
It is hard to define all of Afghanistan’ problems in just three words. Poverty and ignorance is a constant reproach on our society due to economic backwardness and deprivation causing vulnerability and myopia in most to think only about their self-interest and overlook their national interest and thus lose the sense of patriotism and their responsibilities and duties and obligation toward their nation and brother-en. Uncontrolled greed and selfishness for power with the wrong motive to line up their pockets due to lack of confidence and trust in the future of the state all join hands for one to become pathetic and unscrupulous and wretched with no honesty and integrity. In affluent societies with provision of proper education, and good governance one can overcome lack of trust and integrity. In other words education will help provide self-development. In liberals views human being is born with a set of qualities that are unique, innate and intrinsic to the individual. They put little or no emphasis on social conditions. They believe more in nature than in nurture. however they also believe that one can achieve self-development through education
Fragile and failed states are lacking in trust. People begin to worry and feel weary about their future about their rainy day. Such governments are corrupt and can offer no future for their citizens. Generally the Afghan nature is described to be as follows: cupidity, instability, a suspicious nature, intense jealousy, bitter vindictiveness, excitability, impatience, want of self-control and a complete disregard for truth. In the light these chief characteristics that the Afghans have one can study the phenomena that you are arguing about as well as the general human nature that are defined by different schools of thoughts differently. For instance: The liberals stance; Humans are self seeking and largely self-reliant creatures; but they are also governed by reason and are capable of personal development particularly through education. while conservatives believe that humans are essentially limited and security seeking creatures drawn to the known, the familiar, the tried and tested. In their view human rationality is unreliable and moral corruption is implicit in each human individuals. I am supporting both views. Let me give you some examples of the kind: Socialists for instance regard humans as essentially social creatures, their capabilities and behaviour being shaped more by nurture as opposed liberals , than by nature and particularly by creative labour. The anarchists view human nature in highly optimistic terms. They are either seen as sociable and gregarious and cooperative or basically self-interested but rationally enlighten. Fascists believe that humans are ruled by will and other non-rational drives, most particularly by a deep sense of social belonging focused on nation or race. Masses are fitted only to serve and obey and only elite members of the national community are capable of personal regeneration as ‘ new men’ through dedication to the national or racial cause. Ecologists, particularly deep ecologists see human nature as part of the broader ecosystem, even part of nature itself. They believe that greed, and egoism, therefore reflect the extent to which human have become alienated from the oneness of life and thus from their own true nature and human fulfilment requires a return to nature. By the way, Feminists usually hold that men and women share a common human nature and believe that gender differences are culturally and socially imposed. Having said all that I conclude that in Afghanistan corruption is largely greed base and top down. However , since it is epidemic and pervasive, and poverty strikes with extended family system therefore it is need base too with bottom up tendencies.